Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not make any money from this story. It is for pure enjoyment only.


Chapter 4

An interesting journey, indeed, though Shippo. He stared at the back of the older demon in confusion. Yes, he knew what transpired between Kagome and Inuyasha. He was glad that the miko was now away from hi. He knew that Sesshoumaru had pretty much saved Kagome just a few short hours ago. He was aware that they were now traveling with Sesshoumaru to his lands and that they were now under his protection.

What he didn't understand is why the demon lord who, on any any other day of the week, seemed to highly dislike humans. He couldn't accurately say if he actually professed to it or not. And he certainly was not going to assume anything aloud.

So, he sat in Kagome's arms with his arms crossed in front of him. Neither he nor Kagome had said much in the time they traveled. They truly hadn't traveled so very far from Kaede's village. They weren't traveling very fast. The pace Sesshoumaru set was quick, but not so much that they were unable to keep up.

Kagome sighed quietly and looked down at the bundle of child in her arms. What have I gotten myself into? she asked herself. Yeah, Inuyasha was mean, rude, and crude. But is Sesshoumaru really all that much better? The guy tried to kill me! Well, so did Inuyasha. Both have saved me, too. At least Sesshoumaru doesn't treat me like crap. He won't leave me for some walking corpse. At least, I think he won't. As thoughts ran through Kagome's head, her pace slowed and she began falling back from Sesshoumaru.

The demon lord was not unaware of the turmoil of the miko behind him, even if he didn't know the cause of it. Her scent and heart rate fell and rose erratically. He turned his head to look back at her and growled softly in irritation to see her lagging behind. He stopped and spun around to face her. When she came upon him, she let out a small "EEP!" and jumped. He looked down at her, an almost bored look on his face. He could see the blush on her face as she looked up at him and muttered an apology.

"Miko," he stated calmly, "your scent and incessant sighing are enough to tell me there is something on your mind. These ponderings are hindering us from making more progress."

Kagome bit her lip and nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I know," she readily admitted, "and I'm sorry. This whole thing was a total spur of the moment decision and neither one of us thought of the consequences of our actions." She turned her chocolate gaze upon him and looked him in the eye. "I have responsibilities and obligations to ten to. How can I do that if I'm traveling with you?"

Sesshoumaru returned her gaze steadily and raised a brow in curiosity. "If you are referring to your hunt for the jewel shards, you will continue to do so with my pack." He watched as she nodded her head in agreement. "What other obligations do you have?"

Kagome started wringing her hands together in nervousness. He doesn't know about the well, she thought. I don't want to tell him, but he has to know. She took a deep breath and dropped her hands to her sides. "I have to go back home from time to time."

"If you wish to go back to the village then you shouldn't have left in the first place."

"It's not the village I have to go back to. I have a home and a family I have to go back to."

He looked at her questioningly. "Then I will allow you to do so when we are near it."

Kagome slumped her shoulders. She knew she would have to tell him sooner or later, and with a being like Sesshoumaru, it was best to come out and say it. "My home isn't any village you can find. I need to be taken to the well in Inuyasha's Forest." When he didn't speak, it was obvious that such a simple answer would not suffice. "The well is a portal to my home..."

"The well is a grave for demon bones."

Kagome nodded her head. "I know, but it's also a portal. I jump into the well, and it takes me through time. I'm not from this time, Sesshoumaru."

"The well enables you to traverse time?" Sesshoumaru's interest was definitely piqued.

"Yes. There's some kind of spell or something." She pulled on the hem of her skirt, removing some invisible lint or string. "The well...It takes me back to my home. 500 years in the future." She watched him carefully, trying to gaze his reaction. When he turned away and was once again walking, she huffed as she followed him. "You don't believe me, do you?" she asked in slight irritation. Her answer was silence. She crossed her arms and looked away. "I know it's a far-fetched tale, but I promise you that it's true."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to turn on the priestess behind him. "Girl," he toned, "if our journey brings you close to your well, I will allow you to do as you say. Beyond that, expect no promises."

She switched her gaze to the demon lord, her mouth agape. "But I have to go home. I have school! I have a family!" She ran ahead of him and stopped, turning quickly to face him. "Please, Sesshoumaru. Where I'm from, even females are educated and it's expected of me to attend school. And my family worries about me enough as it is. If I'm gone longer that a few days, they worry about me. The longest I can be gone is a week. Even if it's for just a day."

Sesshoumaru's eyes blazed momentarily at the audacity of the small onna before him. Why do I allow her such privileges? He asked himself. He honestly didn't have the answer for that yet. "Step aside, miko," he growled out.

Kagome held her ground. "No. I had to fight with Inuyasha at every turn to go back to my family. I don't want to have to fight with you either." She reached out fearlessly and grasped his haori in her hands. "Please, Sesshoumaru."

He looked down into the pleading eyes of the miko but was not moved. He grasped her wrists and applied enough pressure to force her to let go. "You will remember your place, girl. Though you apparently don't know it." He let go of her and then walked forward, not saying another word.

Kagome sighed dejectedly and looked over her shoulder at Shippo. The kit looked at his adoptive mother and shrugged his little shoulders. Kagome nodded at the silent conversation they shared and then followed the demon lord to his destination.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kaede knew before anyone entered the hut that something was amiss. Though old, and blind in one eye, she could sense that one...no two...were missing from the rag-tag group. She waited patiently, preparing tea, for the youngsters to enter and inform her of the news. What came was nothing like she expected.

First entered a clearly moody hanyou. The silver-eared boy threw the mat away from the door and stormed to the wall across the room. Kaede watched him through her good eye, question clearly showing through. Inuyasha plopped down and crossed his arms, sliding his hands into the sleeves of his haori, and closed his eyes. Clearly he was going to of little to no help.

Sango and Miroku entered shortly after, followed by little Kirara. Kaede waited for a moment, fully expecting Kagome, or at the very least Shippo, to enter last. When neither came through the door, she looked expectantly at the slayer and monk. Seeing the red rimmed eyes of the female, Kaede directed her gaze at the other male of the group.

"Miroku," she asked authoritatively as she poured cups of tea, "where be Shippo and Kagome?" She handed out the cups and sat back. "Surely, if Kagome went home, young Shippo would still be with ye."

Miroku took a long sip of his tea then sighed. "I'm afraid, Lady Kaede," he apologized, "that Shippo and Kagome will no longer be traveling with us." He looked up and sent a half-hearted glare at the hanyou across the room.

"But why? Kagome has no other allies, aside from the young wolf demon who is infatuated with her."

"Kagome is with Sesshoumaru and his pack now, Kaede," Sango replied harshly. "And it's that stupid hanyou's fault." Sango sent daggers through her eyes at Inuyasha.

The hanyou looked through his bangs at the slayer and he bared his fangs at her. "In case you forgot, wench, I didn't MAKE her leave. She chose to do that on her own."

"No, you just put her down until she broke. You hurt her, in any and all ways possible. You didn't make her leave. You told her she couldn't stay." The battle-hardened woman was weeping. The closest thing she'd ever had to a sister was gone. The young kit the all looked after was gone. What was left of her family was falling apart around her.

"Feh. The wench was pretty much useless anyways. Always needin' to be saved. Let Sesshoumaru deal with her."

She couldn't take it anymore. Sango jumped to her feet and stalked over to the hanyou. When he looked up at her, she slapped his face with as much force as was humanly possible. Without a word, she ran from the hut. She needed to get away from him.

Miroku stood as Sango ran out. He turned his eyes upon his friend and sighed in exasperation. "Inuyasha..." he began, but couldn't form further words. He shook his head and followed Sango out.

Kaede watched the odd-couple leave before turning her attention to the young man. "I am not going to ask ye what occurred," she told him. "I will, however, remind ye that Kagome is not my sister nor is she from this time. Whatever it is ye did, obviously hurt more than just our young friend."

Inuyasha gave Kaede a sideways glance and stood from his place. He walked out of the hut and went to his favorite thinking spot: Goshinboku.

Once in the branches, Inuyasha let his hardened mask fall and sighed.  He knew he made some major mistakes concerning Kagome and his pack.  He wouldn't deny it.  But her certainly wouldn't admit it either.  Not to anyone but himself.  He couldn't bring himself to say to them that he fucked up. 

Kagome, I'm so sorry.

His thoughts went back to his treatment of the little miko that had been thrust into his life.  He couldn't help his reaction to her and the way she resembled Kikyou.  And the words basically flew from his mouth, like he didn't care who he hurt.  He said the things he did to...What?  Try harder?  He could justify that.  He hadn't expected it to have the opposite effect, though.  He thought that she WOULD try harder.  To surpass Kikyou.

Instead?  He broke her.  He pushed too hard and pushed her away.  Right to his ass of a brother.

Somehow, he had to make things right.  One way or another, he would.  He would get Kagome back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sango sat on an uprooted log on the edge of the village.  Her head hung down, laying in her hands, with tears falling from her eyes.  It had finally truly hit home.  Kagome was no longer with their little group.  Not that she could blame the younger woman.  It was akin to losing her brother.  Kagome was taken...No.  PUSHED away from the family she had slowly adopted.  By their supposed 'pack leader'.

She mentally cursed Inuyasha.  He was always pushing the girl more than he should have.  More than she could take.  Kagome didn't grow up the same way they had.  Their customs were not her own.  He didn't have to treat her so harshly.  Clearly, Sesshoumaru had understood that.  He took Kagome away from something so unhealthy to the futuristic girl.
 
I should have done something.

The slayer wanted to kick herself from here to next week.  She knew that she should have done something, anything, to stop the hanyou from hurting the little miko.  But she did nothing.  And now...Now it was too late to do anything.  Sesshoumaru had done it for them.

"Sango?"

Sango immediately lifted her head and wiped at her eyes.  She didn't need the monk to see her crying.  She was stronger than this.  "I'm over here, Miroku," she replied after a moment.

The purple-clad monk walked up and sat down beside her.  A brief glance at the woman's face and he could tell that she had been crying.  And understandably so.  He didn't blame her.

"As angry as we are at him," Miroku stated calmly, "and as much as we want to beat him, we have to remember that he's also beating himself.  It's Inuyasha.  He cares for Kagome in his own way..."

"Ha!"

He looked at Sango and saw the anger had returned to her face.

"He can say he cares all he wants.  He can beat himself over it all he wants.  But never again will I believe that he is capable of feeling remorse for what he did.  He didn't care.  If he cared, he wouldn't have hurt her in the first place."

Miroku nodded his head.  "I know.  Underneath all his gruff and bark and bite, he cares.  He won't admit it, but he's sorry and knows he's in the wrong.  All we can hope is that we come across Kagome again and see an improvement in conditions."  He heard her sniffle softly and wrapped his arm around her.  "Who knows?  Maybe Sesshoumaru will be good for Kagome.  He did seem honorable in his treatment of her."

Sango nodded her head in return.  "Yeah.  But he's Inuyasha's brother.  We've seen them fighting before.  Sesshoumaru seems to have no patience.  The Kagome that left with him is not the Kagome we know.  Sooner or later that Kagome is going to come back out, and where's that going to leave her?"

"Kagome can hold her own.  She has even done so against Sesshoumaru in past confrontations.  Let us have faith in our friend and hope for the best."

Sango placed her head on Miroku's shoulder, soaking in his show of comfort.
 
Miroku just held her.